


Bruises!Remix

by destieldearie



Series: Bruises Make for Better Conversations [2]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-02
Updated: 2015-06-02
Packaged: 2018-04-02 12:16:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,843
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4059667
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/destieldearie/pseuds/destieldearie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What if Ewan told Belle how he felt before he left for college? What would their life be like?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. What If

**Author's Note:**

> the original verse really should be read first for better understanding. It can be found here on AO3 or on tumblr (destieldearie)
> 
> This also occurs after "This Ain't Goodbye" in the original timeline.

He should be asleep, but for the past week sleep had eluded him. Every time he closed his eyes Ewan could see Belle standing on the platform of the train station, unshed tears shining in her eyes. If he thought hard enough and breathed deeply enough, he could still smell her shampoo and the earthy smell that accompanied her. He never thought it would be this hard and he knew Belle would understand, he couldn’t help the gnawing feeling in his gut that said he’d made a mistake.  _“She doesn’t love you. She doesn’t love you,”_ he thought as rolled onto his back. Glancing once more time at his bedside clock, Ewan groaned and finally fell into a restless sleep.  

He awoke a few hours later when the morning sun shone through the window next to his bed. Ewan ran his fingers through his hair and placed his feet on the floor, stifling a yawn. A quick look at the other bed in the room showed that his roommate had apparently left for the day. Ewan fished his only picture of Belle out of his nightstand and his insides lurched as he softly traced her smile with a fingertip. He had to see her, even if it was only for a weekend. It was still early and he didn’t have class today. Smiling genuinely for the first time in what felt like an eternity, Ewan grabbed his duffel bag and shoved two days worth of clothes into it and ran out of the dorm to the bus station.  

* * *

She’d been distracted during her English class; her thoughts of Ewan had left no room to discuss proper grammar. Belle kept thinking about the heartache she’d felt when the train had finally disappeared from view, with only Martha and Peg’s firm grip keeping her from falling to her knees. He’d said it wasn’t truly goodbye, but she knew the truth. Soon, or perhaps even now, he’d find himself too busy with his schoolwork to spare her another thought. Belle hadn’t thought it would be this hard to let him go; to give him his best chance at a happy life. When the bell signaled the start of lunch, Belle sighed as she hurried past the library, determined not to look inside. They’d met at the little corner table, nearly hidden from view, a year ago and she couldn’t bear to face the harsh reality just yet.  

* * *

_“ ‘Belle, I love you. Leaving you was the biggest mistake of my life and I’m sorry. Just please give me a chance to make it up to you,’ No, that sounds too…creepy,”_ Ewan’s thought’s raced as he settled into his seat, preparing for the bus ride back to Brooklyn.  _“What am I going to tell her? Hey, Belle. It’s me, the guy you probably will only ever see as your brother, professing my undying love. Hey, Belle, I love you and want to spend the rest of my life showing you just how much? Jesus, Ewan. Get a hold of yourself”_ He groaned and put his headphones in just as someone else flopped into the seat next to him. Ewan stared out the window and counted down the hours until he would see Belle again and this time he  **would**  tell her he loved her.

* * *

“I miss him,” Belle whispered to herself as she walked the familiar route to Martha and Peg’s apartment, alone. The day after he was gone Belle had shown up at their apartment after school, eyes red from crying and they had ushered her in. She knew they missed him too, but they listened to her sobs and told her stories from Ewan’s childhood. Since then, she’d been over every day. Listening to them talk about the boy they all loved so much had helped ease her loneliness and Belle couldn’t help but laugh at the stories they told.  _“Why couldn’t you just tell him? He was leaving; you had nothing to lose.”_ Arriving at the apartment, Belle again looked at the pictures that were scattered around the apartment.  

“Peg should be home soon, she stepped out to get some groceries. Would you like some tea, dear?” Belle nodded and graciously accepted the cup as Martha continued, “He’ll be back, Belle. He won’t be gone forever. It hurts, I know, but it’ll get easier. He’d want you to be with your other friends. Ewan wouldn’t want your life to stop just because he went to college.”  

“I know, it’s just…I love him, so much it…it physically hurts that he’s not here,” Belle said, as her voice started to break.  

“I know, dear. I know,” Martha whispered as she pulled Belle into a hug.  

* * *

Ewan stood outside Martha and Peg’s apartment. He was going to drop his bag off and then if he hurried, he could make it to Mr. French’s flower shop before Belle got there. “They’re probably at work, so I’ll just leave a note,”  Ewan thought as he put the key in the lock and walked in. To his surprise, he found Martha sitting at the kitchen table with someone. “Belle?” he whispered.  

Their heads quickly turned to him as they both shouted, “Ewan!”

“What are you doing here? I thought you weren’t coming home for at least a few weeks?” Martha questioned.  

“I didn’t have class today,” he shrugged.  

“So you sat on a bus for almost five hours because you-” Ewan’s wide-eyed stare cut her off, “ **Oh,** ” she whispered as she gave his arm a light squeeze. “I’ll just go get something for dinner, then. Belle, dear, would you like to stay for dinner?”

“Uh, yes of course. I’ll need to call my father,” she said as continued staring at Ewan, drinking him in.  

Neither Belle nor Ewan moved until they heard the front door close. “Wh-What are you doing here, Belle?” Ewan asked as he stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her.  

“I was just visiting. I’ve missed you,”  

“Belle, there’s something I need to tell you,” he blurted, pulling back and gazed into her eyes. Belle looked at him inquisitively. “Please, just let me get this out. I’ve wanted to say it for months,” He said in response to her unspoken question.

Belle’s heart beat hard against her chest. “ _He couldn’t be about to say what she thought, could he?”_

“Belle, sweetheart, I love you. This last week without you has been the some of the worst days of my life. I-I know you can’t possibly feel the same way, but I couldn’t go another day without you knowing the truth,” Ewan spoke quietly, his brown eyes never leaving hers.  

Belle felt her heart soar and she was dimly aware that her cheeks had grown damp. Bringing one hand up to stroke his cheek, she whispered, “Oh Ewan. I love you too,”

Ewan felt the air leave his lungs,  _“She couldn’t possibly love him, could she?”_ “Belle, ca-”  

Belle pressed her lips to his, leaving no doubt how she felt. She sighed when she felt his arms wrap around her and pull her closer.  

They were still locked in an embrace five minutes later when Peg and Martha walked in, knowing smiles on their faces. 


	2. We Were Made For This

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Snapshots of their life together

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How would life be if they had only known  
> Also, this can be found on tumblr as well as the masterlist of the original verse in chronological order. ( http://destieldearie.tumblr.com/post/116857219128/bruises-make-for-better-conversations )

Belle didn’t know how long she stood in Ewan’s arms, but she slowly became aware that they were being watched. “They’ll leave us alone in a few minutes, but I think they might be trying to figure out who wins their little bet,” Ewan muttered in her ear. “I overheard them talking about it a few weeks ago.”  

“They  _bet_ on us?” Belle whispered, failing to keep a smile from blossoming across her face. She peeked around his shoulder and saw them standing in the doorway, their eyes shining brightly. Belle giggled as Peg gave her a knowing wink and followed Martha into the kitchen.  

“Well, not really us. Specifically, they bet on me and if I would ever tell you that I am hopelessly in love with you,” he whispered as he kissed her hair. “See, Martha’s a romantic and she bet that I’d tell you eventually. Peg on the other hand, is a realist. She knew I only wanted what is best for you and she thought I’d just walk away. Y'know, let you get on with your life, which coincidentally is exactly what I originally planned,” Ewan explained.  

Belle lifted her head from his shoulder and stared into his eyes. “I can make my own decisions about what is good for me and that’s you. I  _love_  you,” she stated.  

“And I love you,” Ewan replied as he brought a hand up to stroke her cheek.  

* * *

**_2 days later (2003)_ **

“Belle, sweetheart, we have a few minutes before the bus gets here,” Ewan said as he checked his watch and plopped unceremoniously on the bench. Belle sat down next to him and reached for his hand.  

“I’ll miss you, but it’s better this way. At least now we know,” Belle whispered as tears pricked her eyes.  

“I don’t want to leave you. I can always transfer to a closer university next semes-” Ewan started, but Belle began speaking over him.

“No. You’re not giving up  _Harvard University_  for me. We’ll make it work. I know we will.” She squeezed his hand and gave him a small smile. Ewan turned to face her, taking both of her hands in his.  

“Sweetheart, this isn’t going to be easy; it’s going to be really,  _really_ , hard. We’re going to have fight for this every day, but I’m willing to do that because I love you and I want you by my side,” he said and a small tear fell down her cheek.  

“I’ll never stop fighting for you,” Belle said softly as his bus came to a stop in front of them. As they stood, Ewan’s lips met hers harshly. She brought her hands up to tug at his hair and when they broke apart, she pressed her forehead to his.  

“I’ll see you Friday, yeah?” Ewan murmured as he reached for his bag.  

“Friday,” Belle agreed as she smiled softly at him. With one last smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes, Ewan boarded the bus. He sat next to the window and Belle waved; Ewan just placed his hand on the window. When the bus was no longer visible, Belle turned and walked home.  

* * *

**_3 years later (2006)_ **

Belle carefully folded her letter from Harvard and placed it in the pocket of her dress. She hadn’t told Ewan she’d applied and, if she was being honest with herself, she never expected the acceptance letter she had received. She would tell him tonight, after graduation.  

“Belle?” She heard her father’s voice outside her door.  

“Yeah, Papa?”  

“Ewan just called. He said he’d have to meet us there. His train is late, but he wanted me to tell you that he’ll be there,” her father replied as he opened the door slightly. “We should get going. The valedictorian can’t be late.”  

 

When Belle was lining up for the processional, her stomach gave a painful lurch when she saw the seat next to her father, reserved for Ewan, was empty. Peg and Martha were seated next to the empty chair, and Belle could see a worried look on their faces. She knew as well as they did that Ewan was never late. As the music played and the processional started, she heard a door slam and saw an agitated Ewan sprinting into the arena. There were mutterings from the crowd as he reached his seat and her papa clapped his hand on Ewan’s back as Ewan whispered something.  

“Good to see you, son. Quite an entrance,” Moe laughed quietly as he clapped Ewan’s back. Ewan smiled and chuckled as he looked at the continued processional.  

“I didn’t miss her did I?” Ewan whispered frantically. Martha pointed at a small slip of a girl who was currently walking in. His heart soared as Belle, his wonderful Belle, tried and failed to hide her amused expression. He smiled as Belle quirked her eyebrow and tapped her wrist.  _You were almost late_ , her expression read. His smile grew when, as she walked by, she blew him a kiss.  

When the ceremony ended and she had politely declined her friends’ invitations to an after party, Belle went looking for her family. After five minutes of searching, she spotted her Papa taking a picture with Ewan. Finally, his eyes met hers and he rushed over to her, taking her in his arms. “Belle,” Ewan breathed when he crashed into her. “Bloody train, I was so afraid I would miss this.”

“I knew you wouldn’t miss this,” She whispered with a small smile on her face. “Come here, I need to show you something,” Belle said as she grabbed Ewan’s hand and pulled him a quieter place away from the crowd. “I want you to see this,” she whispered as she gently pushed the letter into his hands.  

“Belle, what?” Ewan said under his breath as he unfolded the letter, an anxious expression on his face. His face lit up; however, when he read the letter’s contents. “Belle, why didn’t you tell me?” he said softly.  

“I didn’t want to get our hopes up. Y'know, just in case I didn’t get in.”  

“You’re brilliant, love. Why wouldn’t you?” Ewan asked, but he had no intention of letting her answer as he pressed his lips to hers. Belle smiled against his lips and yelped when he picked her up and twirled her in a small circle. As they returned to their small circle of loved ones, Ewan couldn’t help the smile that was plastered on his face. Everything was finally working in their favor. Belle would return with him to Boston in the fall and their life could finally begin.  

* * *

**_3 years later (2009)_ **

“I know it’s small and I’m sure we can probably find something bigger if you wa-” Ewan said as he was moving Belle’s belongings into his one bedroom apartment, but Belle cut him off with a smile on her face.  

“You still plan on living with me, don’t you?” She remarked, moving to wrap her arms around his waist. A bemused expression settled on his face as he nodded his head. “Then it’s perfect,” she whispered as she pressed a kiss over his heart.  

* * *

**_1 year later (2010)_ **

The ring in his hand felt like it weighed a thousand pounds as he remembered the first time he realized he loved her. Belle had invited him over to her apartment for dinner and during the meal when she laughed at another of his stupid jokes, he was hit with the realization that he’d give anything to keep that smile on her face. It was then that he knew he had fallen in love with her. He had gone away to school, but he came back and they’d been together ever since. Ewan loved her more every day and she was always there for him, just as he always tried to be there for her. Their friends joked that they were already married, but tonight, Ewan had wanted to make it  _official_. He’d planned an elaborate dinner in their tiny, one bedroom apartment, but they’d fought. Oh, they bickered like any couple and their spats were usually resolved within a few hours, but not tonight. Tonight, Belle said she needed a break, packed a bag, and stormed out of the apartment. He didn’t even think to ask where she was going and now she wasn’t answering his calls.  

“Shit,” He sighed as he placed the ring back in his pocket and rubbed his hands over his face. Ewan looked at the shattered vase on the floor and slowly rose from the couch to look for the broom and dustpan. Belle wouldn’t be too happy to find he’d broken her vase when,  _or if_ , she returned, but the least he could do now that he _had_  broken it was clean up the mess.  

He had almost finished when he heard the lock on the door turn. As Belle walked in, her eyes red from crying, Ewan dropped the dustpan he was holding. He walked over to her and gently placed a hand on her shoulder.  

“You came back,” he whispered in awe. He thought that surely she must have finally realized how much better than him she deserved. Ewan heard her bag drop to the floor with a small thud.

Belle covered his hand with hers and replied, “Of course I came back; I just needed some space. I love you.”  

“Belle, I’m  _sorry_. I didn’t mean any of it,” his voice started to break.  

She finally turned her head to meet his gaze, “I’m sorry too. It was stupid,” she said as she moved to rest her head on his shoulder. “I was halfway back to New York when I realized I’d rather argue with  _you_  every day than be with anyone else. You’re all I’ve ever wanted and you’re all I ever _will_ want.”

Ewan’s hand had found its’ way to her hair and was lightly stroking her curls. He took her hand and whispered, “I love you too.”  

They stood there in silence, wrapped in their embrace, for a few moments until Ewan whispered against her hair, “Do you remember what I told you at that bus depot all those years ago? That it would be hard and we’d have to work at it every day?”

“Of course I do,” Belle replied, her voice muffled by his shirt.  

“Well, it’s still really hard and I’m glad we fight for it every day because sweetheart, I love you so much. I still want you, every part of you, forever,” Ewan said as he gently pushed her away to look at him. Feeling a surge of courage, he dropped to one knee as Belle gasped. “I love you with all my heart and soul and no matter how difficult it gets, that will  _always_  be enough for me. Belle, love, will you marry me?”  

Her hands came up to cover her mouth as a sob escaped her, “Yes, yes of course.” She nodded when her voice began to break. Ewan was about to stand up when he felt Belle kneel in front of him. Before he could ask what she was doing, her lips came crashing into his.  

* * *

**_1 year later (2011)_ **

The ceremony looked beautiful, but it all paled in comparison to Belle. Belle, beautiful and brilliant Belle, had miraculously agreed to marry him and as she walked down the aisle on her father’s arm, Ewan’s mouth was suddenly dry and his cheeks were damp. He could feel his heart in his throat as she neared him. _“Oh God. She’s stunning,”_  he thought once she was close enough for him to see her face. He felt the air leaving his lungs when Belle smiled at him and all he could do was offer her a besotted expression in exchange.  

When it was time for their vows, Ewan was so distracted that the officiant had to ask him to speak twice before Belle reached out and took squeezed his hand. “S-Sorry. You’re just so lovely, sweetheart,” he whispered, his cheeks aflame. Belle smiled as he cleared his throat and began speaking directly to her because in that moment, they were the only two people in the world.

> “Belle, my love,  when we met I was counting down the days until I could leave Brooklyn and my life could finally begin. I had a bad reputation, but at the same time I was invisible. I was ignored, until a tiny girl with an Australian accent yanked Catcher in the Rye out of my hands and demanded my opinions. You saw me when very few people bothered to look and gave me hope that there was still good in the world when I had long given up hope. I fell in love with you quickly and easily, then I ran away from you. I left and told myself it was for the best, but I came back because living without you was a pain I couldn’t bear. You’re exquisite and wonderful and I will never understand what you see in me, but I will spend the rest of my life trying to be that man. I love you and in my heart and soul, that will always be enough.”

When he was finished, Ewan’s tears fell freely and Belle was dabbing at her eyes with a Kleenex, hoping to stop the onslaught of tears before they began. She beamed at him and began reciting her own vows.

> “Ewan, my brave and magnificent Ewan, when we met I had no idea that I would fall in love with you. I was new to the country and I had just lost my mother, but that hour we spent talking was like a balm to my weary soul and I knew I wanted to be your friend. Without you, I probably would have closed in on myself and I don’t know where I’d be if you hadn’t rescued me. You say that I showed you that there was still good in this world, but you showed me that even through the terrible things, good can still exist. This love hasn’t always been easy and we almost lost it before it started, but it’s real. Real love isn’t easy; it’s really hard and once you’ve experienced it, nothing else can compare. It’s wonderful and many people spend their entire lives searching for we have. I love you, Ewan, always and forever.”

After their vows, rings were exchanged and finally,  _finally_ , the officiant said, “I now pronounce you husband and wife; You may kiss the bride.” Ewan brought his hands up to cradle Belle’s face in his hands and he lightly pressed his lips to hers, as chastely as he could manage. He could kiss her properly later, when her father wasn’t around.  

“Mrs Gold,” Ewan whispered when his lips left hers.  

Belle rested her forehead against his and sighed happily, “I’ve been waiting for that for seven years.”  

“I love you, Belle.”

“And I love you.”

* * *

**_2 years later (2013)_ **

“What do you think about Maine?” Belle asked from her position on the couch. “There’s this place called Storybrooke. They need a librarian and it looks like a nice place to raise a family.”  

“As long as I can get to and from Boston every so often; I’m not giving up all my clients. Sweetheart, where are those onesies and that blanket Peg and Martha gave us last week?” Ewan called from the kitchen.  

“You packed them yesterday. Ewan, honey, come sit down. I’m fine, they say the first baby is always late and I’m not due for another two weeks,” Belle replied. Ewan walked into the living room and sat next to Belle on the couch. Lightly pulling her to him, he rubbed her aching back.  

“Okay, Maine it is,” Ewan whispered into her ear as Belle began to lightly doze.


End file.
